What Kind Of Bird Are You?
by Paint Splat
Summary: AU. BlackHill Femslash inside! / "I said, what kind of bird … are you?" she raises a finger to point at Natasha, whose heartbeat speeds up every time her eyes meet Maria's. Everyone turns to look at her and she fights the urge to blush. "I'm a raven." she manages to say, locking eyes with Maria. \\ Based on the movie Moonrise Kingdom.
1. I'm A Raven

_**So …**_

_**Yeah.**_

_**This is my first Avengers FanFiction. You can literally feel the awkwardness in the air. **_

_**Ah.**_

_**Anyway, I noticed there aren't many BlackHill fics out there … so I wrote one, and stayed up til 3 a.m. writing it. Yeah, I'm pretty dedicated. **_

_**This FanFic is based on the film Moonrise Kingdom, which I don't own. Sadly.**_

_**I also don't own The Avengers, obviously because BlackHill is not canon ._.**_

_**So, let's get started before I drown in awkward.**_

The first time Natasha Romanoff meets Maria Hill is actually not a proper meeting at all. It's a glance, an acknowledgment, the fact that they are nine years old and still do what their parents tell them is an important factor in this.

The woods deep in the mainland of the island are scattered with small and large natural treasures, one of them being a large oak tree which Natasha sometimes likes to climb, when the voices downstairs get louder and when her record player's volume can't block them out. So, she opens her window, climbs down the side of her house and runs away until it's roughly dinnertime, because nine-year olds can only dream about properly running away.

Natasha lives on the South side of the island, right in front of the sea, so the hike to the woods is long but worthwhile, giving her a few hours of solitude and silence.

Only today she's not alone.

Down there, sitting on a collapsible beach chair underneath the giant oak tree, with an easel, more colours of paint than an art store and a focused expression on her face, is Maria.

Except Natasha doesn't know that's her name. All she knows is that another nine-year old girl has discovered her tree, and Natasha has no idea what to do about it.

Just then, a pair of brilliant blue eyes look up and catch Natasha's own emerald-green ones, and all they can do is stare at each other until Natasha turns and runs back home even though it's not dinnertime, because Maria, though she doesn't know it's Maria, is strange and new and by her tree.

Maria's painting, of the woodland around her, remains the same, only now there's a flash of coppery red in the distance. It could be a fox. It could be Natasha, weaving through the painted trees silently.

* * *

What Natasha doesn't know- in fact, she knows nothing- is that Maria's parents died when she was five, in a 'mysterious' accident. She's been moved around to six different foster homes, and has finally been fostered by a family on the North side of the island.

She's been labelled 'emotionally disturbed' by social services.

She doesn't belong. Not really.

* * *

Their first real meeting comes when they are twelve. Natasha still remembers the girl who was painting the wood, and Natasha is immortalized in Maria's painting- and mind-, or maybe it's a fox.

The island's only church is a dismal one, locate dint he centre of the island, but it's production of Noah's Ark is a cheerful event, with children in bright coloured clothes pretending to be animals, and adults who imagine themselves thespians leap about the makeshift stage sprouting lines with wide eyes.

Although the play is mildly intriguing, Maria is bored, and she soundlessly slips away, while her foster parents are left blissfully unaware.

* * *

Backstage, behind a clothes rack, five girls dressed as birds sit dabbing on the final touches of make-up. In the middle sits Natasha, bored as well, dressed all in black with matching feathers and lots of dark eye makeup, making her green eyes stand out. All that's out of place is the white blood-soaked bandage on her right hand.

The clothes rack shifts, and a girl appears. Natasha sees this in the mirror and whips around in her seat, followed by the other girls.

It's Maria.

Natasha's eyes widen for a moment as she recognises the painter. Maria doesn't react, but somehow Natasha knows she's been recognised behind her stage make-up.

"What kind of bird are you?" asks Maria curiously, her breath-taking blue eyes never leaving Natasha's frame.

Clarissa, a girl dressed in blue on the right side of Natasha, takes the lead as usual.

"Well," she says in her bossy voice "I'm a sparrow, she's a-"

"No." interrupts Maria, and Natasha fights back a smile.

"I said, what kind of bird … are you?" she raises a finger to point at Natasha, whose heartbeat speeds up every time her eyes meet Maria's. Everyone turns to look at her and she fights the urge to blush.

"I'm a raven." she manages to say, locking eyes with Maria. She thinks she can see a flicker of emotion in them, and then it dies, replaced with an emptiness Natasha can only wonder about.

"Of course you are." Maria murmurs, and Natasha feels like there's no one else in the room with them, that it's just her and the beautiful painter.

"What happened to your hand?" asks Maria, and Natasha is pulled back into reality.

"I punched a mirror." she said, not bothering to skirt over the truth. Some of the girls look shocked, having not heard the full truth, but Clarissa just rolls her eyes. Maria does nothing.

"Why?"

"My parents were fighting again." There it was again. There was no need to lie around Maria. For Natasha, the truth came easily, something that surprised her..

"Ah." says Maria, and crosses her arms. "I'm Maria Hill. Who are you?" she asks, her eyes twinkling.

"I'm a raven." Natasha smiles, and Maria grins back, and it's the second moment in her entire life that she's ever wanted to freeze. The first was when she first saw Maria, painting in the woods.

"My name is Natasha. Natasha Romanoff."

Just then, the costume designer came in, flapping her arms in an agitated manner.

"Birds, get ready, you're on in …" her voice died away as she saw Maria.

"Who are you? Get out, get out!" she yelled, and Maria vanished, after one more glance at Maria that seemed to last forever.

"She likes you, you know." said Leah, a girl dressed as an owl on Natasha's left side.

"Do you like her too?" asked Katy, who was dressed as a dove.

Natasha thought for a moment. "Yeah. I do." she said, and then they went out on stage, Natasha searching the crowds for Maria.

But she was gone.

* * *

Later after she'd got changed, scrubbed her face paint off and was ready to meet her grumbling foster father, mad that his wife had gone home without him, Natasha found a note in her bag.

'_My dearest raven Natasha,_

_Meet me by the big oak every day at 5 p.m. and we can talk, and I can paint and maybe do something about your hand._

_Yours truly,_

_Maria Hill._'

* * *

And so it began

* * *

Every day they met after school, and talked about random things, things they had in common, things they didn't have in common, Maria's favourite thing to paint (Natasha, followed closely by trees), Natasha's favourite books (spy novels), their parents, and so much more.

One night, almost a whole year later, Natasha closed her eyes and found different phrases of their conversations running through her head.

'_You were my favourite animal in the performance. You have a beautiful voice …_'

'_I'm not the raven anymore. I yelled at the costume designer. Now I'm a swan …_'

'_I found swans on the lake one day and stole some feathers and braided them in my hair, but my foster mother ripped them out …_'

'_My mother made me grow my hair long. I really want short hair though …_'

'_Then you could pretend to be a boy- but I think you're too beautiful, you'd get caught out …_'

'_In school, Clarissa- the sparrow- said I was basically a boy since all I did was hang out in the woods. She said I was dysfunctional. She called you a freak. I lost my temper and got in a fight. Now I've been suspended …_'

'_I've stopped going to school. I'm too smart, I had to correct the teacher the other day. I just walked out. My foster parents don't really care …_'

One thing that really struck Natasha was something Maria had mentioned today, while they were on the topic of superpowers.

'_I wish I could fly … I wonder if humans will ever evolve enough to fly? Maybe we can grow wings and you can properly be a raven forever … I think I'm more of an owl .._'

An idea popped into Natasha's head, and it refused to leave. Silently, she got dressed, put on her shoes, opened the window, climbed down the side of the house and ran away into the night.

* * *

All the way on the other side of the island, Maria Hill woke with a start, her blue eyes quickly adjusting to the dark. She turned on her light and was greeted by the familiar presence of dream catchers, crystals, feathers and drawings, several of Natasha.

_Natasha_.

Her raven.

Somehow, she knew the reason she woke up was about her fellow thirteen year old.

Her raven was going to do something stupid, she just knew it.

She hurriedly put a sweatshirt on over her pyjamas, laced up her hiking boots and climbed out the window into the night, to save her raven.


	2. Don't Fly Away Without Me

_**Okay, I'd like to thank my two reviewers and my wonderful readers for … well, reading XD**_

_**Here's chapter two :)**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot and any OC used for the purpose of this story.**_

Natasha ran past the big oak and turned a sharp left. The landscape changed drastically, turning rockier, the wind picking up. She started to shiver and picked up her pace and soon she reached the edge of the wood, stepping out towards the top of a cliff that had a straight drop to the sea.

The edge of the island, the edge of the cliff. The edge of her world, and the start of the foreign outside world full of mystery.

She surveyed the sea beneath the cliff. It was a dangerous dark blue and scattered with protruding rocks. Waves attacked the base of the cliff and a chill darted up her spine from just staring at it.

'_You can be the raven forever …_' Maria's words rang through her head and she stepped closer to the edge.

She didn't hear the footsteps behind her over the crash of the water.

The chance to be a raven forever, even in her last moments, to be immortalized forever in one moment of true bliss, to finally fly …

_What a chance_.

Who could resist?

'_Someone sane_.' her mind told her, but she brushed that thought aside. She was perfectly sane.

She was about to take the final trembling step that would send her off the cliff when a pair of arms snaked round her waist and pulled her back into reality and safe ground again. Her chance to fly was turned into ashes

"Let me go," she grunted, struggling against the strong arms of her captor.

"No." said Maria. "I won't let you jump."

"I was trying to fly." protested Natasha.

"Another day, maybe, but not today. Not without me. Don't leave me alone, Tasha." Maria whispered the last part.

"But I want to fly now." Natasha protested like a child, her thoughts still jumbled from the drama of the last hour. "I want to get away from everyone."

Maria recoiled slightly, and that was when Natasha realised what she'd said.

"You really know how to make friends." Maria snapped, getting ready to stand up.

"No! I want to get away from everyone- with you, Just- just stay … Please?" Natasha's voice broke on purpose at that last word. Maria rolled her eyes, but turned around, going back to her best friend's arms, and they listened to the sea while talking- formulating a plan.

A plan to fly away together, properly.

* * *

It was starting to get light, dawn breaking and throwing light on the dark sea. It didn't look so menacing in the daytime, Natasha observed.

At the large oak they parted ways, promising to meet at the usual time, and then Maria had kissed Natasha on the cheek. Before she could respond the brunette had slipped off into the shadows of the trees silently.

Natasha was blushing all the way home.

Her parents were fighting again, in their room- as if Natasha couldn't hear every word from her attic bedroom anyway. They hadn't even noticed she was gone. Or maybe they had and they just didn't care, like Maria's foster parents.

She packed.

* * *

At five p.m. it was a strange duo that met at the big oak. Natasha had a basket, carrier bag and a suitcase, while Maria had a big backpack filled with camping equipment, a sleeping bag and ground mat plus an air rifle.

"Ready to fly away?" smiled Maria.

"Like the raven and owl we really are." was Natasha's answer.

They hiked.

Meanwhile their parents screamed, the island's small police department got involved and an airplane was sent flying low, trying to get a glimpse of two troubled runaway girls.

Natasha saw all this through her binoculars and reported back to Maria, who had set up a tent and made a campfire that was waiting to be lit.

"What did you bring? I can make an inventory if you tell me." Maria explained, getting out a flip notebook and a pen.

"These are my lucky scissors, because I'm left-handed. This is my mum's old record player. I borrowed it without asking. This is my favourite record. My aunt gave it to me- that's why it's in Russian and not English. She doesn't like me speaking English, you see." Natasha emptied out her bags as Maria obediently made notes. Natasha clicked open the suitcase to reveal rows of books.

"These are my books. As you know, I prefer spy novels, preferably with a female heroine or interesting villain. Most of the best characters are orphans. I wish I was an orphan. Your lives are more interesting.

Maria stopped writing and stared for a moment.

"I love you, but you have no idea what you're talking about." she stated.

Natasha tried to control her blush at this declaration, but Maria seemed perfectly calm, stopping her writing to pick up one of Natasha's books.

"You can read them if you like." she pointed out, trying to stay cool despite the fact that Maria had just told her she loved her, and that she wanted to tell her she loved her too but didn't know how.

"Most of these are library books. Some are overdue. Do you steal?" Maria asked, her right eyebrow arched.

Natasha shrugged. "I plan to return some of them. Others, I don't know. Yeah, I guess I steal." she concluded somewhat proudly.

"Why? You're not poor." inquired Maria.

Natasha stayed silent.

"Are you depressed?" Maria asked quietly.

She shrugged and carefully opened her basket, taking out a book.

'Dealing With A Troubled Child.' Maria mouthed the title.

"I found this on top of the refrigerator. Do you think I'm the troubled child?" she asked.

"I don't know." said Maria truthfully. "I don't think so. Maybe that's because we're both troubled children. I suppose there could be different definitions of a troubled child though."

There was silence for a while. Finally Natasha spoke.

"Last night, on the cliff …" she had a horrifying flashback of the rough water and shook her head to get back into the present. "How did you know to come looking for me" she tentatively asked.

Maria thought for a moment. "I just knew you were in trouble, so I came." she answered.

And that was the end of conversation for the night, as they slept with their arms around each other in the too-large sleeping bag, their leftie scissors and air rifle keeping a careful eye on the two friends- though 'friends' was stretching it a bit tight now.

* * *

The next day they covered their tracks and set off again, over rock and forest floor, trading stories, jokes, wilderness survival tips and dreams.

"I hope they don't send my ex-school class after us. They're all horrible people. You're a much better person and you're supposed to be a troubled child." Natasha mused as Maria helped her down a rock. They held each other for a moment.

"Maybe we're the normal ones. Did you ever think of that?" Maria said.

"That's an interesting way to look at it … I like it."

"Thanks."

They continued on in silence until Natasha spotted something with her binoculars and grabbed Maria's hand.

It was Natasha's ex-school class, and leading the group was Clarissa. She didn't care about getting Natasha home- she just wanted to embarrass her.

They got caught. Everyone does eventually.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Romanoff and her little sidekick." Clarissa sneered.

Maria's brow furrowed; she was easily the tallest there.

"What do you want, Clarissa?" Natasha asked tiredly. Noticing how everyone had a weapon, she gripped her scissors and Maria loaded her rifle.

"I'm here to take you plus Daddy Long-Legs over there back home." Clarissa said.

"I'm afraid that isn't going to happen." Maria stated.

"We've been authorized legally, so you and pint-size better move your asses or things are going to get nasty. We might even harm your precious little girlfriend before moving on to you." grinned, Molly, another ex-class mate.

Maria rolled a fat, fallen twig forwards with her foot at the mention of harming Natasha.

"Do not. Cross. This. Line." she said angrily.

Clarissa snarled up at the girl and crossed the line defiantly.

The screams and yells of fleeing schoolgirls were deafening.

* * *

The search party's base was the pier, where the lonely police station stood, now surrounded by people and schoolgirls. One of them lay on a stretcher, a bloody bandage round her middle.

"That Maria Hill is one messed up kid." remarked Sergeant Foxton sadly. He had always liked Maria Hill. She had spark.

"Oh no, sir. It was the other girl that did it. Natasha Romanoff. With a pair of left-handed scissors, sir." said Leah, a schoolgirl, as she passed by.

He was left alone, bewildered, staring at the dark grey clouds in the sky.

* * *

Maria and Natasha were left staring at the pair of scissors, now covered in blood.

"I guess Clarissa was right. I really am dysfunctional." Natasha said in shock, wiping the blood off on her trousers.

"Dysfunctional works for me." Maria said with a small smile, shouldering her rifle.

"We have to move- fast."

_**I'm currently wallowing in a small pool of feels due to last night's Doctor Who episode, but I managed to spew out another chapter for you lovely folks. I hope you enjoyed. Please leave a review, if it's not too much trouble. I like this story and I wanna see if you do too.**_


	3. Their Kingdom

_**I can't believe I haven't updated in a month XD. Sorry, guys!**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**_

It was another day of hiking before they reached the small, secluded camp that had been their destination all along- Maria knew where it was from studying the old island paths.

They immediately grinned; this was their world, their kingdom. They were safe here.

They cheered and ran down the beach, turning in separate directions and ending up facing each other on the rocks, only the salt water between them. After a look of understanding they removed their shoes and socks and Natasha placed her binoculars and blood-stained leftie scissors on the rock carefully.

"We jump on three, okay?" Maria called out. Natasha nodded. There was silence for a bit.

"Ready?" called Maria, about to do the countdown.

"One, two, three!" Natasha yelled quickly, and they jumped in, feeling free as the birds in their sky.

They had finally flown away.

* * *

Later, they'd hung up their clothes to dry and Maria had constructed a fishing rod to fish with, while Natasha read.

"I made you jewellery," said Maria, and Natasha looked up, marking her page and setting it down. The brunette held up two fishhooks with beetles on the end. "Do you have your ears pierced yet?"

Their lunch hour consists of screaming, ice and a kiss on the ear.

After that Maria paints Natasha again.

"You're beautiful, you know that." comments Maria.

"So are you." replies Natasha. There is a blissful silence again as Maria paints and Natasha thinks, not moving.

Natasha puts on her record player while the painting is drying and she and Maria dance, first far away and then extremely close and they're slow dancing really, shy green eyes looking into slightly nervous bright blue ones. Then, Maria leans forward ever so slightly and presses her mouth against Natasha's, and it's mind-blowing and amazing but after a few second sit's over, and Natasha wants more.

"You ever done French kissing?" Natasha asks, her heart shamefully still beating wildly after the kiss.

"No. Is there a technique?" Maria asks, blushing, and Natasha smiles back at her.

"The tongues have to touch, I think." she says.

"Oh, okay." Maria licks her lips and kisses Natasha again forcefully, opening her mouth, and they kiss for a long time, before coming up for air.

"If you ever decide to fly away again," says Maria breathlessly "and I'm not there to stop you, just know that I care about you, and I think I love you."

Natasha's ready for it this time, but it still creates a warm feeling inside.

"I think I love you too." breathes Natasha, diving in for another heart-stopping kiss as the record plays on.

* * *

When they wake up in the morning it's not too the gently lapping waves, or seagulls, but a bunch of angry cops, smug schoolgirls and furious parents. Maria's foster parents, however, are absent.

On seeing the two girls curled up together, Natasha's mother shrieks and runs forward, pulling her daughter up.

"Get away from this fugitive, Natalia." she yells.

"I'm technically a fugitive too, mama." Natasha grumbles, and they proceed to have a heated argument in Russian, most likely about Maria.

On the boat back to the other side of the island, they are in separate rooms, her outside, freezing with her parents, and Maria inside alone with her thoughts.

"You're a traitor to this family," her father spits at her.

"Good. I want to be." Natasha retorts.

It's then that Maria gets her bad news. It's a letter, printed all in capitols.

'_Dear Maria, _

_It is with great regret in my heart, as I am telling you this, that me and my wife can no longer welcome you into our home as our foster daughter. You are dysfunctional, abnormal and quite possibly mad._

_We wish you great luck in your new life, however._

_Howard Mason._'

There would be no tears for Howard Mason and his lies, or his bitch of a wife.

The only tears she would ever cry would be for Natasha Romanoff, and the fact that she could never and would never see her again.

And even that was stretching it.

_**This is a crappy chapter and I am deeply ashamed of myself. However, the next one will be longer, I can promise you that.**_

_**Oh, and if you like BlackHill and you haven't read it already, I posted an oneshot for them a few days ago. Check it out?**_

_**Pip pip toodleloo,**_

_**-Paint xxx.**_


End file.
